"Cultural tourism, Aboriginal cultural tourism and importance of product authenticity are examined. The paper provides a case narrative of Aboriginal cultural tourism involving five First Nations communities on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. It discusses the role of Cape Breton University, the island’s only university, as a linking-pin and neutral venue for local Aboriginal leaders, non-Aboriginal government development agencies and mainstream tourist operators to discuss a long-term unified strategy for Aboriginal cultural tourism development in this region."